Hydraulic plunger stop



Jan. 16, 1934. N, RlCKER 1,943,553

HYDRAULIC PLUNGER STOP Filed Feb. 15, 1932 NORMAN H. RlCKER INVENTOR BYil ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 16, 1934 PATENT;

Price HYDRAULIC PLUNGER STOP Norman H. Kicker, Houston, Tex., assignorto Hughes Tool Company, Houston, Tex., a corporation of TexasApplication February 13, 1932. Serial No. 592,826

5 Claims.

My invention relates to plunger lift apparatus and more particularly tothe stop provided for the plunger at the lower end of the eduction tube.

The plunger, in devices of this character, drops by gravity from theupper end of its stroke to the lower end of the tube. It is customary toprovide sufficient submergence of the tube in the liquid so that liquidwill quickly rise in the tube above the seat for the plunger and therebyassure that the plunger hits the liquid before it reaches its seat andthereby prevent the plunger from hitting a dry seat and injuring theapparatus. The liquid acts as a shock absorber and will have a dash poteffect so that no injury will result. It sometimes occurs, however, thatthrough insufiicient liquid in the well or through some slowing down ofits flow, the plunger falls upon the seat or stop member with force and20 injury results.

I have, as an object, the provision of a fluid cushion in the place ofthe usual stop seat for the plunger, and against which the plunger maystrike and break the force of its fall in the tube.

I desire to close the lower end of the tube below the inlet ports forthe liquid and to form a dead end into which the lower extremity of theplunger may strike and which will fill with liquid to absorb the shockof the falling plunger.

In the drawing is shown a central vertical section through the lower endof the eduction tube of a plunger lift device with the plunger therein,all illustrating the application of my invention.

The eduction tube 1 is of the usual cnstruction except that a specialbull plug or nipple 2 is connected to the lower end thereof by a collar3. Said nipple is of the full internal diameter of the eduction tube atits upper end and has a plurality of lateral openings 4 therein to admitfluid from the well. Below the openings the walls of the nipple arethickened internally to provide a pocket at 5 into which the lowerextension 6 of the plunger 7 will loosely fit. This nipple thus has aclosed lower end to receive the liquid from the well. 7

The plunger body 7 is cylindrical to fit the inner bore of the tube 1and its inner surface flares upwardly to provide a thin scraping edge 9at its upper end and a downwardly converging streamline passage 10therethrough.

The lower end of the body '7 has a valve seat member 11 held in place bythe upper ring 12 of the support 13. Said support is spaced below theseat by arms 14 between which the fluid may pass. the head 16 of thevalve when said valve is open. A stem 17 on said valve extendsdownwardly through a guide opening 18 in the support, said openingconnecting with a laterally extending passage 19 to the outside.

The lower end of the support 13 is of smaller diameter than the body ofthe plunger and is formed with the extension 6 thereon previouslyreferred to. The accumulation of gas pressure below the plunger whenthere is suflicient head of liquid above the valve 16 will close thevalve and raise the plunger with its load to the surface where the loadwill be discharged and the gas will exhaust allowing the plunger tofall.

The support is recessed at 15 to receive Meantime the liquid will enterthe tube through openings 4 and fill the nipple 2 and will rise in thetube. When the extension 6 on the plunger engages in the chamber 5 inthe nipple it will be stopped by fluid therein. The said fluid willescape slowly from below the plunger through the clearance space andwill allow the plunger to drop slowly to its seat. The liquid in thelower end of the tube will splash up, as shown at 20, but no damage tothe equipment will result even if but little liquid has risen in thetube. The dash pot thus provided prevents the diiiiculties previouslyexperienced due to the plunger striking a hard seat before the liquidhas entered in sufficient quantities to absorb the shock of the fallingplunger.

What I claim as new is:

1. An eduction tube for plungerlift devices, a. nipple closing the lowerend of said tube, said nipple having inlet openings spaced above thelower end thereof, in combination with a plunger, a valve controlledpassage therethrough, and a closed extension on said plunger below saidvalve formed to fit loosely in said nipple, said openings serving toadmit pressure fluid to lift said plunger.

2. An eduction tube for plunger lift devices, a nipple adapted to besubmerged in the liquid in a well and closing the lower end of saidtube, said nipple having inlet openings spaced above the lower endthereof, in combinatiori with a plunger, a valve controlled passagetherethrough, and means on said plunger to engage in said nipple andabsorb the shock of the downward movement of said plunger, said openingsserving to admit pressure fluid to lift said" plunger. V

3. An eduction tube for plunger lift devices, a nipple thereon havinglateral openings therein and a closed lower end below said openings,

by pneumatic pressure to raise liquid entering said openings.

5. In a plunger lift device, an eduction tube having inlet openings atits lower end and a closed nipple below said openings to receive andretain fluid, in combination with a plunger in said tube, a valve insaid plunger, and an extension on said plunger below the valve fittingsaid nipple.

NORMAN H. RICKER.

